


"I'm 95. I'm Not Dead."

by celticdreamz



Series: Everything's Changed [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-07
Updated: 2014-09-07
Packaged: 2018-02-16 10:32:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2266440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celticdreamz/pseuds/celticdreamz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One-shot scene based on Rogers' comment to Romanoff during Winter Soldier that he had, in fact, been kissed since 1945. Set between the events of The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	"I'm 95. I'm Not Dead."

Her lips were cool beneath his, but that was understandable. Natasha had told him that she couldn't remember the last time Maria Hill had actually been on a date. But he'd had to try. 

Ever since he'd first stared at her from across the bridge of the helicarrier, Steve had been unable to think of any other woman. Maria had kept that ship in the air practically from sheer force of will. The help she'd gotten from himself and Tony was just a bonus. When he'd seen her in the infirmary, looking after her troops before getting patched up herself, he'd wanted to know more. 

Everyone had warned him that Maria was a very tough nut to crack. The last guy who'd hit on her was now stationed in a remote listening post in Alaska with only the wolves and bears for company. Steve, however, wasn't deterred. If anything, that just made him try harder.

At first, he made good use of his "man out of time" shortcomings. He would often ask stupidly obvious questions just to have an excuse to talk to her. What surprised him most was her endless supply of patience with him. Steve had seen her rip many a raw recruit a new airway, but never him. When asked, she had simply stated that they should've known better.

The most surprising thing he'd come to learn about her was her wide knowledge of movie trivia and how she used movies to explain modern living. She hadn't even tried getting into "how the Internet works" without first showing him _WarGames_. The visual of a teenager being able to hack into a military server both impressed and scared him. 

"I'm sorry, but I can't…" Her voice, filled with regret, pulled him back into the present.

"Can't what?"

"I can't do this," Maria answered vaguely. "Us."

Steve had just dropped her off at her apartment after they'd spent almost all day watching _Star Wars_. Maria had insisted on watching the original trilogy, and had found a copy of the movies before they'd been remastered in the mid-90s. 

"Why not…?" He wasn't hurt so much as confused, and it showed on his face.

"Let's just call it Level 9," she answered with a wry look. "For all intents and purposes, I'm your boss. I live my life under a microscope. One wrong choice in my personal life and every command decision I've made ever will be called into question."

"That's no way to live," Steve frowned.

Maria just shrugged. "It wasn't my choice. Fury's the one who tapped me to be his second, and letting him, or anyone else, down is not an option."

"So you're willing to sacrifice your happiness for the job?" His answer wasn't exactly a question.

"I have to," she replied, more to middle distance than looking Steve in the eye. "Now more than ever. After the attack on New York, we all know we're not alone in the universe. I have a _lot_ of people, civilians, military, and intelligence officers, counting on me not to lose sight of the big picture. If it means I don't get a white picket fence, then that's what it takes."

"I wish you could give us a chance," he said and tucked her bangs behind her ear. "But I understand, and respect, why you can't."

Maria's bright blue eyes turned watery for a split second before she marshaled her forces. It could've been written off as a trick of the light, but he knew her well enough to know that was as close as she ever got to crying. 

"Sometimes my job really sucks," she half-laughed.

Steve couldn't resist pulling her against his chest, but this time his lips landed on her forehead. "Yes, it does, but if you ever change your mind, you know how to find me."

"Yeah, I do," Maria replied on a small sigh. "And I might just take you up on that someday."


End file.
